How the Vegas Golden Knights should tackle the Seattle Kraken this season
The two expansion teams will duke it out in the Pacific Division this season. Here's how the Vegas Golden Knights should tackle their rivals this season.
When you think of the city of Seattle, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the endless coffee options like Starbucks, which will perk you up in the morning? Is it the home base of Amazon, where the overlord Jeff Bezos hails from? Perhaps it's grunge rock, where bands like Nirvana have produced memorable songs and quality music.
Here's one that might catch you off guard: The Seattle Kraken. The other expansion team on this side of the Vegas Golden Knights wants to take over the Pacific Division. How? They're signing big names like Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, moving towards a similar success story to Vegas's.
The two teams capitalized on their expansion similarities, playing each other in last season's Winter Classic. This was when the Golden Knights were in the middle of a middling stretch, dealing with injuries and inconsistent play. The home team won, 3-0, as Joey Daccord recorded the first shutout in the event's history.
But this season will be different for the Kraken. Despite missing the playoffs in 2023-24, reloading with reputable free agents isn't the only thing they're doing. They also have a Stanley Cup-winning head coach in Dan Bylsma, who's ready to get the franchise back into the playoffs.
Will he be successful this season? What must the Golden Knights do to prevent the other expansion team from rising past them? Vegas shouldn't sleep on this team for the upcoming season, for they could sneak in for a playoff spot. Here's a breakdown of how the Kraken should be tackled for the upcoming hockey campaign.
Special teams for the Seattle Kraken isn't so... special
The Seattle Kraken had a pedestrian special teams unit last season, starting with the power play. The Pacific Northwest team scored on 20.7% of their man advantage opportunities, leaving them 16th-lowest in the NHL. Their penalty kill wasn't too inspiring, either, garnering a success rate of 78.8%, the 14th-worst in the NHL.
Granted, the Vegas Golden Knights haven't had much success on the power play, sitting at 20.2% in 2023-24. Last season's penalty kill unit wasn't jaw-dropping for Vegas, either (79.3%, 15th in the NHL). However, it allows them to capitalize on a weakened Seattle team, despite adding Chandler Stephenson.
How? They have a bigger body they can deploy in front of the goaltender in Tomas Hertl. The Kraken will be a smaller team than Vegas, which will play into Bruce Cassidy's hands. They can play like there's only one beer left by creating redirections and deflections while obstructing the goaltender's view.
Should the Vegas Golden Knights be wary of the Kraken this season?
The Seattle Kraken will be a team that flies under the radar for numerous reasons. They're led by Matthew Beniers, who got a new contract extension with the group. Adding Chandler Stephenson to the mix will make them faster and more fluid in their lineup, giving other teams more trouble.
That could include the Vegas Golden Knights, who are banking on Adin Hill to stay healthy. It might be problematic for a team looking to recapture that Stanley Cup magic from 2023 if he's hurt. How they'll respond with their defensive pairings and forecheck will indicate how they'll fare during their matchups.
If the Golden Knights stay out of the penalty box and let Seattle make mistakes, that will make life easy for themselves. They're deep at the center position and have wingers with tremendous upside. That, paired with the forecheck and defensive pressure, will help Vegas handle their matchups against their fellow expansion team.
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